Singular Athletes: Lee Behzadi, Hot for Hockey

Whether it’s on ice or concrete, hockey is Lee Behzadi’s passion. The 43-year-old from Culver City says he likes the game because it’s aggressive, fast and spontaneous. “There’s no plotting or planning in hockey,” Lee says. “You’re reacting to the moment.”

Like most hockey players, Lee has taken his licks. His front teeth have been replaced thanks to a cosmetic dentist, and he recently spent time in the emergency room getting hockey-stick splinters extracted from his face. But for Lee it’s all part of the sport. “You haven’t played the game unless there’s blood on the ice,” he says. “You take your lumps and you keep on playing — even if your finger just got broken. It’s mind over matter.” Lee never works out at the gym. For cardio he rollerblades and plays sports, sometimes more than one a day. He says a really great day is when he’s able to work in a game of tennis, some roller hockey, and a round of golf. He says the adrenaline he gets from playing sports is something he needs to be complete, that it’s a natural part of who he is.

For Lee, being an athlete is different from someone who just works out at the gym, because athletes are connected to their bodies in a motion of accomplishment that requires a higher level of awareness and connectivity to the world.

“A good athlete goes over the top,” he says, “even to the point where it seems unreasonable. That’s what it takes to make them great.”